Holder for bed clothing



Nov. 3, 1953 s. E. HART 2,657,441

HOLDER FOR BED CLOTHING Filed Nov. 3, 1949 s sheds-sheet 1 Nov. 3, 1953s. E. HART 2, 7,

HOLDER FOR BED CLOTHING Filed Nov. 3, 1949 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Inventor 7mg. 2 f r Nov. 3, 1953 s. E. HART HOLDER FOR BED CLOTHING s Shets-Sheet3 Filed Nov. 5, 1949 INVENTOR. Sara E. Hal"? Patented Nov. 3, 1953 UITEDSTATES ATENT' OFFICE HOLDER FOR BEDCLOTHING Sara E. Hart, Rochester, N.Y. 7 Application November 3, 1949, Serial No. 125,369

8 Claims.

This application is a continuation in part of an earlier applicationhaving the same title filed by this applicant on October 16, 1944,Serial No. 558,875, and allowed May 26, 1949.

The invention relates to bed clothing securing devices and has for itsobject to hold the bed clothes against pulling up from the foot of thebed, or sliding off at either side thereof.

Another object of the invention is to provide a bed clothing holder inwhich there is no part or portion thereof attached to the bedstead,springs, mattress or bed clothes.

A further object of the invention is to provide a bed clothing holderminus clamps, teeth, springs, or other such members which might catchinto and injure the mattress, bed clothin I or springs, or mar thebedstead.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a bed clothingholder which, while securely holding the clothes in proper place, willin no way interfere with the free movement of the feet or limbs of theoccupant of the bed.

Another object of the invention is to provide such a device which, afterbeing once adjusted to the bed, will in no way interfere with freespreading of the bed clothes, changing of. the same, or which will needremoval or readjustment of the device.

Other features and advantages will become more apparent from thefollowing description, and the accompanying illustrative drawings, inwhich:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of one form of my device shown in operativeposition upon a mattress, the latter being shown in dotted lines;

Fig. 2 is a detail perspective view of a broken away portion of theinvention showing a slight change in a wing stop;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged detail perspective view of a bed clothes holdingmember;

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of a modification of the invention;

Fig. 5 is a similar view thereof, partly broken away and shown inposition collapsed inwardly by sliding;

Fig. 6 is a view, similar to Fig. 4, illustrating another modification;

Fig. 7 is a detail, enlarged, fragmentary section of a coupling elementappearing in Fig. 6;

Fig. 8 is a plan view of a structure and arrangement constituting stillanother modification of the invention extended preparatory toapplication to a bed;

Fig. 9 is a much enlarged section therethrough taken on the line 9-9 ofFig. 8; and

Fig. 10 is a perspective view of this last mentioned modification inoperative position on a foot portion fragment of a bed and mattress,which latter are depicted in phantom lines.

Like reference characters indicate like parts throughout the followingspecification and in the several views in the drawings in which latter,first referring to Figs. 1, 2, and 3, 10 indicates in general the bedclothing holder, including an elongated frame plate H to the ends l2 and[3 of which are pivotally connected wings l4 and I5 which, when in use,are held in rigid spread apart inclined position by means of pins orscrews IE and H. To the outer ends of the members M and I5 are attachedrings and 2| through which are looped adjustable straps 22 and 23provided on their free ends 24 and 25 with hooks 26 and 21, engageablein rings 28 and 29 secured to the outer corners 30 and 9| of the memberH.

In Fig. 2 of the drawings I show a different method of limiting thespread of wing 32. In this form the end 33 of said wing is secured by apivot 34 to the plate 35 in which is a struck out tongue 36 adapted tooverlap the outer edge 31 of the wing 32 and form a stop therefor.

In the operation of this form of the invention the frame plate H isplaced centrally under the foot end of the mattress '38, the outer edge39 of said plate II being flush with the end wall of the mattress andthe wings l4 and I5 being spread apart at approximately right angles toeach other so that their extremities will just come to the side walls ofthe mattress and the pins I6 and I! being placed to hold said wingsfixed rigidly in position. When the straps 22 and 23 are unhooked andallowed to drop free to the sides of the bed, the bed clothes may bespread properly in position after the said straps are drawn up and overthe corners of the bed and hooked in the rings 28 and 29 whereby thecovering is held securely in position and after that the final spreadmay be placed on the bed and cover the straps 22 and 23. It is quiteobvious that if it should be desired to include the top spread under thestraps the latter may be of an ornamental design whereby the appearanceof the finished bed will not be marred.

The paired apertures H and H in plate H are provided for adjustment ofthe device to mattresses of various sizes.

In Figs. 4 and 5 of the drawings I show a modification of the. inventionin which the device is formed of rigid wire and comprises a U-shapedportion 40, as a substitute for the plate H of the above-described formof the invention, The

cross bar 41 thereof is turned at the ends to form eyes 42 and 43, and.arms 44 and 45, the terminals 45 and 41 of which are turned inwardly toreceive collars 48 and 49. These are held secured on said ends bybending the terminals 50 and thereof over the edges of the collars. Thesaid collars are oval-shaped and of a width to receive arms 52 and 53slidable therein. These latter arms are provided with turned stops 54and. 55 on the inner ends to limit the outer movement. and with eyes 56and 5'! on the outer ends to which straps may be engaged.

In Figs. 6 and 7 I show another modification in which is provided a bar58 having outwardly inclined terminals 59 and 50 on which are fixedinternally screw-threaded collars ill and-Tl into which are removablyscrewedflaring arms. and '13, the outer ends of which terminate in loopsI4 and 15, for engagement in hooks I6- and' 11* of the elastic or otheradjustable straps 78 and 79 held in rings 8d and 8 l' onthe 'bar 58;-

The lattertwoforms of my invention: are. particularly adapted. forsingle beds; couchesandt so forth, and the operation. in use issubstantially the same as that of the form of Fm. 1. of. the drawings.However, thecross bars thereof: may be placed under a couch. orother'form' of bed having a mattress secured thereto instead ofibetweenthe bed springs. and. mattress of. an. ordinary bed. In this deviceofFig. t of the drawings, it is collapsiblebysliding the armsa 52" and53 inwardly, while they device of: Fig. 6. iscollapsible for packing,storing; shipping, etc; by unscrewing arms 12' and 13 from collars I0and H.

Proceeding now tothe embodiment. of. theiinvention. illustrated in Figs.8" tom, the fixed or anchoring portion consistsfsimpl'y of a framecomposed of a pair of crossed bars. or wings providing twosh'ortdiverging arms 82 and: two. long diverging arms 83. These bars,which are preferably of strap iron, thinner than they are wide, arepivoted together by a hollow or tubular rivet 84. This rivet alsosecures a small. swinging yoke 85, also of flat. material, which. yokeembraces the bars while its connecting portion 865 extends. to one side;Such connecting portion serves as a stop to limit the spreading ofthearmszas. in: Fig. 1 when. it: is pinched between the short arm 82 ofone bar and the long arm 33 of the other thus limiting the divergingangles of both sets of arms.

The terminal portionsof theshortarm'ssfi are provided with preferably.elongated opening 81 while the terminals of the long. arms. 53 are. alsoprovided with openings 58; Pa'ssi'ngithrough both openings 8! incontinuity is a strap or heavy tape 39 preferably elastic. Gnezend'Bllis secured to a hook iii. The other end is looped at 92 and itsextremity 83., or free end, is passed through a friction buckle 94' thatslides on the body 39 of the strap in the wellknown. mannerto shorten orlengthen the loop andhence'the overall dimension of the tape. The, saidloop. passes loosely through the eye of another: hook &5..

The action of the two pivotedzbars-is like: that of a pair of scissors.When: they are: closed together one is superposed precisely upon theother and when the flexible strap. is alsolaid along them the device ismost compact. and may be stored or transported, for instance, in a papertube of small diameter. Whenextended for use as in Fig. 1 the long arms83 are placed'between the mattress M and the springsor frame of the bedB (Fig. so that the slotted ends of the short arms 82 barely protrude.This causesthe openingsBB at-thetipsof-thelong arms 83 to also barelyprotrude from the sides of the mattress near its foot, the bars, ofcourse, in the first place, being of a length adaptable to a particularwidth of bed. Finally, the strap 89 is adjusted to a correspondingproper length, equalized or centered with respect to the two openings81, and passed diagonally up and over the corners of the mattress andbed clothing as before and thence downwardly and the respective hookstiand 95 engaged with the openings 88.

The continuous strap 89 functions astwo straps in use as it looks in theslots 8'4 as soon as it is stretched upwardly. Of course its two halvescoulclflbe cut to length and fastened in these slots, therebyeliminating the buckle 9 3.

It is seen from the foregoing disclosure that the above. mentionedobjects of the invention are admirably fulfilled. It is to be understoodthat the foregoing disclosure is given by way of illustrative exampleonly, rather than by way of limitation, and that without departing fromthe invention, the details may bevaried within the scope ofthe appendedclaims.

What is claimed is? 1. In adevice of the character described, agenerally fiat anchoring frame adapted tobe slipped between the foot endof a. bed mattress and its support and; embodying two adjustably spreadwings adapted to. extend, when the frame is thus disposeddivergently'f-rom the foot of the, mattress at. approximately rig-htangles to each other across the under corners ofthe mattress with theirouter extremities accessible from the sides of the mattress, their-innerextremities being con- 1 nected to each other to constitute the centralbody of the said-framaflexible straps adjustable as to length proceedingfrom the" middle portion ofthe: frame and: mattress foot and havingtheir loose ends bot-h provided with attaching means engagea-ble, withthe respective outerextremities of. said: wings, and means for limitingswinging movement of said wings relative to each other.

2:. A device of the character described, constructed: and functioningasin claim 1 in which a, the wingsare pivotally'mounted.

A: device. of the: character described, constructed and functioning;aszin claim 2 in which the wings cross and are pivoted directly toeachother soithatthey may-befolded into. parallelism.

4-. A device of the character described, constructed; and. functioning.as-in claim 2 in which the outer extremities of the wings are providedwith openings andthe ends of therstraps arezprovidedwith: hooks.engaging said openings.

5. A device of the character described, constructedand. functioning asinclaim 2 in which the wings: are evolved. from two bars pivotedtogether near their innerends,v the latter constituting: the middleportion of the frame from which the straps proceed.

6. A. device of the character described, constructed and functioning asin claim 2v inwhich the wingsare. evolved from twobars. pivotedtogether'near their inner endathelatter constituting the middle portionof the frame from which thestraps proceed and being providedrwithopenings through which the strapspass.

7.,A. device of the character described, constructed and functioning asin claim 2 in which the: wings: are-evolved from. two bars pivotedtogether neartheir. inner ends, thezlatter constitutingythemiddleportionof the; frame from which the straps proceed and the bars are foldable onthe pivot in one direction int-o;pa1al1e1ism..

generally flat anchoring frame adapted to he slipped between the footend of a bed mattress and its support and embodying two adjustablyspread wings adapted to extend, when the frame is thus disposed,divergently from the foot of the mattress at approximately right anglesto each other across the under corners of the mattress with their outerextremities accessible from the sides of the mattress, said Wings beingformed from two bars pivoted to each other near their inner end, thebars being foldable on their pivot in one direction into parallelism, astop on the same pivot adapted to be pinched between said inner endswhen the bars are swung apart, to define the angle to which said Wingsmay be swung relative to each other, said inner ends constituting themiddle portion of the frame, and flexible straps adjustable as to lengthextending from the middle portion of the frame and mattress foot andhaving their loose ends both provided with attaching means engageablewith the respective outer extremities of the said wings.

SARA E. HART.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 5Number 20 Number Name Date Cohen Nov. 6, 1388 Meachem Oct. 1, 1901Cofiman May 19, 1903 Buley Apr. 3, 1906 Salinger Oct. 25, 1910 ParksNov. 24, 1914 Saulmon Jan. 11, 1916 Michael Mar. 28, 1916 Hillman Oct.29, 1918 Edlund Mar. 15, 1921 Myers Jan. 18, 1927 Shields Aug. 10, 1943FOREIGN PATENTS Country Date Sweden Dec. 9, 1941

